1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to fishing hook storage devices and, more particularly, to fly storage devices to inhibit entanglements and to provide for ease of attachment to fishing line. The device includes a main body casing with a hook retaining surface for efficiently retaining a plurality of surplus fly hooks such that tippets extending from the fly hooks may be fed by a feeding member through a flexible tubular member and stored therein to prevent entanglement of the tippets and to permit easy removal and attachment of the same to fishing line.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Conventional hook storage devices are presently available in a variety of configurations which permit storage of spare or surplus fishing hooks. However, no prior art device teaches a sealable main body casing with a hook retaining surface for efficiently retaining a plurality of surplus fly hooks such that the tippets extending from the fly hooks may be fed by a flexible looped feeding member through a flexible tubular member to facilitate improved storage and to prevent entanglement of the tippets and to further permit easy removal and attachment of the same to fishing line. The following patents describe the present state of the art with reference to hairholding devices.
U. S. Pat. No. 667,676 to Robert B. Cantrell describes an angler""s book as does U.S. Pat. No. 940,132 to Samuel E. Creasey.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,900,035 to Henry M. Beck describes a fly holder which is attachable to a piece of clothing.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,525,057 to William F. Anderson describes a rigid, tubular, multiple shell holder and U.S. Pat. No. 2,530,292 to Arthur John Howard Crook describes a rigid, tubular hook to gut holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,540,340 to Ralph H.
Linblade and U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,843 to Samuel J. Ortynski describe various types of carriers for fishing flies.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,798 to Robert G. Pilston describes a container having an elongated tubular transparent housing which envelops a lure suspended therein by a line connectable to a fisherman via a buttonhole, belt, auxiliary chain or necklace, etc. When access to the lure is desired, an access closure which closes the bottom of the housing is removed and the housing is moved upward along the line to expose the lure and line connector. After separation of the lure from the connector, the housing returns by gravity to its initial position, stopped by an abutment on the line connector engaging the container. A multiple lure container is also disclosed which provides a plurality of transparent plastic tubes open at one end and formed into an integral body. A hinged plastic transparent cover extends over and closes the upper open ends of the tubes. A shoulder strap supports the container on the user. By this arrangement visual access is provided to the interiors of the tubes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,258 to Gilbert Allard describes a fishing leader holder which consists of an outer cylindrical tube, an inner cylindrical tube rotatably mounted inside the outer tube, a longitudinal slot in each tube which can be mutually aligned, and a cylindrical inner securement part which can slide within the inner tube. The securement part has a radially extending projection which passes through the slots in the two tubes and, therefore, the securement part can slide longitudinally along the inner tube when the slots are mutually aligned. At one end of the slot in the outer tube, there is a short slot at right angles to the longitudinal slot so that when the securement part is at this one end of the slot, the inner tube can be rotated within the outer tube to both hold the securement part at one position and to cover the slot in the inner tube. A cap is fitted over the end of the inner tube which is adjacent to the short slot in the outer tube, and a resilient part is secured to the side of the cap facing the inside of the inner tube so that the securement part will be under the effect of the resilient part when its projection is within the short slot, so holding the securement part and the two tubes in their relative positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,707 to Joseph R. Crapanzano describes a portable container for supporting and displaying fishing plugs and lures in a well organized manner consisting of a housing having a partially removed section for viewing, a telescopic cover for said housing split into two sections hinged together along a single intermediate edge which telescopically slides into the housing, the upper section having a transparent window and is capable of being folded over when the cover at the hinged part reaches,the upper extremity of the housing. The bottom section slides back down over the housing while the upper section resides without the housing to form an angular support for the housing. There are securing members at the lower extremities of both the housing and telescopic cover to secure their parts while in transit.
A removable holder is carried by the housing which includes spaced apart mounting slots at both extremes for receiving and tensioning the plugs and lures to secure them to assure that they are not dislodged in transit, and to display them in an organized array for selection purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,834 to Donald R. Spencer describes a fishing fly box which includes a cylindrical housing in which a spool is located, the spool being mounted to rotate on hollow spindles, that project inwardly from the end walls of the housing. The housing has an opening which is normally closed by a cover, but when the cover is open, flanges at the end of the spool are exposed where they may be easily manipulated to turn the spool. Strips of soft retaining material extend axially along the spool to retain the flies, for the hooks of the flies are easily embedded in these strips. The fly box is suspended from a lanyard, and to retrieve a fishing fly, the fisherman merely inserts a finger of his left hand into the spindle of the left end wall, and with the thumb of that hand moves the cover to its open position. Again using the thumb he turns the flange of the spool until the desired fly is at the opening, whereupon the fly is withdrawn. The fly box has an end cap, which is easily detached from the right end wall, and it encloses an annular cavity for storing leaders.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,511 to Millard G. Ashbaugh describes a carrier for fishing lures which includes a cylindrical tube having a plurality of holes along the side wall. A hook of a fishing lure may be inserted into any of the holes and positively retained when the carrier is in its normal substantially vertical position due to gravity. The shank of the lure hook will likewise depend downward to lie substantially parallel to the major axis of the cylindrical tube, and cannot be removed from the hole due to the abutting of the hook shank against the side of the tube. However, when the tube is swung to a horizontal position and twisted so the lure hook retaining holes face vertically upward, the hook shank will fall to a vertical position due to gravity to be perpendicular to the major axis of the tube. Due to the relatively small diameter of the tube, the hook may then be lifted from the retaining hole in the tube for use, or a lure may be installed for storage in the tube. The tube is suspended from a belt attachment loop, which loop is easily removable and installable on a belt. The present lure carrier is well suited for use in casual fishing outings of relatively short duration, where the carriage of extensive quantities of tackle and equipment are not desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,845 to Mark Bartholomew describes a fish hook lure and leader carrier which is formed from plastic. It has a basic configuration having a tubular structure with two caps, one on each end. The interior of the tubular structure houses the hooks and/or lures in the interior cavities. The leader extends through the slots in the interior cavity and wraps around the outside of the tubular structure. When the two caps are snapped onto the ends the leader is firmly in place. The interior cavity may contain a septum separating it into two cavities. These cavities may have end walls that occlude half the opening at each end of the tubular structure. The end walls are not opposite providing access to the two cavities.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.
A fly harnessing and storage device includes a main body casing with a hook retaining surface for efficiently retaining a plurality of surplus fly hooks such that tippets extending from the fly hooks may be fed by a feeding member through a tubular member to prevent damage to and entanglement of the tippets and to permit easy removal and attachment of the replacement fly hooks to fishing line. In some embodiment the tubular member is a flexible tubular member and preferably has a circular cross section configuration with out exceeding the scope of the present invention.